Do You Need To Replace The Blades On Your Wipers?

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, it’s a good reminder that the severe weather of the winter is not far off. This is the perfect time of year to schedule a maintenance inspection of your car. Driving in severe weather is dangerous enough, but doing so with tires that have poor tread, a broken headlight, or a cracked windshield make it even more so.

One point of maintenance that people often overlook – until they need it – is new blades on their windshield wipers. The windshield wiper arms on your car hold a piece of rubber that acts as a squeegee and wipes water and dirt off of your windshield. Because these blades are made of rubber, they are subject to the wear and tear of the weather.

During the summer months, the heat and dry weather can actually dry out the rubber blades and cause the rubber to crack and fall apart. If the rubber blade is worn down, or missing pieces, not only will you not have effective wipers but, the arm of the wipe will drag directly across the glass of your windshield and could scratch the glass.

Here are some of the benefits to getting your windshield wiper blades replaced this fall:

Better visibility. During the fall months the rain can be heavy, add to that driving in the evening hours or, heavy winds blowing leaves and debris around and your visibility could be very minimal. When you can see what is ahead of you, or around you, a car accident is more likely. Getting new wiper blades put on your car will dramatically improve your field of vision and make it much easier to navigate during severe weather.

The glass of your windshield is vulnerable to damage from all kinds of things, including the metal arm of your windshield wipers. If the rubber wiper blade that is attached to the wiper arm is damaged, the metal wiper arm will scratch the glass and cause serious damage. You may even have to get the windshield replaced.

Other drivers. When you are driving in a rainstorm, sometimes the rain is not so damaging to your vision as much as the huge puddles of water splashing up onto your windshield from other drivers. Not to mention the layer of black dirt that starts to accumulate from water splashing up from the tires on the other cars around you. Having good working windshield wipers will eliminate all of this.

Ironically, your windshield does a lot more than just shielding wind. During the fall and winter months, it protects you from wind, rain, and severe weather. Make sure that your windshield is kept clear by getting new wiper blades put on your car during the next few weeks.